Foot-rest for automobiles



H. F. LIVER'MORE.

FOOT BEST FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED MAR.18, 1918.

1,366,737, Patented Jan. 25,1921.

'Homew F Live r1110 We j UNITED STATES HOMER F. LIVERMORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOOT-REST FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed March 18, 1918.

To alt w ham it may concern:

Be it known that L'I-IoMnr. F. LIvnRMoRE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in FootRests for Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

In the tonneau of automobiles it is customary to provide a nickel plated bar for a foot rest. The chief difliculty found with these bars is that the plating quickly wears and chips away under the constant impact of the feet, and become rusted and unsightly. Another trouble with them is their extreme coldness in chilly weather and their consequent unpleasantness to the feet, especially in the case of ladies and others wearing thin-soled shoes.

The purpose of this invention is the construction of a foot rest of. this character which shall not only avoid the above recited objections, but which will possess other advantages to" be hereinafter recited.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a foot rest embodying my improvements, a portion of the same being illustrated as broken away. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the same, but in its position of non-use.

The foot rest comprises a rod or tube 1 having its ends supported in arms 2 pivoted to the floor of the automobile to enable the rod to be swung into its position of use, or away therefrom in order to leave the floor clear for the entering or leaving of the occupants. For the reason hereinafter set forth, I prefer to have the rod rotatably held by the arms.

Completely enveloping the rod 1 between the arms 2 is a tube or sleeve composed. of gray compressed fiber, this sleeve 3 presenting its surface to the feet of the cars occu pants. This surface being non-conducting, no chill is communicated through it to the feet. Further, the sleeve 3 is composed of compressed fiber uniformly colored a gray throughout its mass, so that no matter how much it wears it presents no color differing from that of the remainder thereof.

Further to distribute the wear with comparative uniformity. about the entire periphcry of the foot rest, a post 4 is fastened to the car floor at a point toreceive the 1m- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 25, 1921.

Serial No. 223,060.

pact of the foot rest when the latter is swu ng over and away from its normal position. The surface of the post 4- is formed with ratchet teeth 5 or other frictional means, in such a manner that when met by the sleeve 3 when the foot rest is swung over, the sleeve and rod will be given a fractional turn, but will not be equally turned in-the opposite direction as the foot rest is swung into normal position away from the post.

Consequently, this step-by-step rotation of the sleeve causes it to present a fresh section of its surface to the feet of the cars occupants every time the latter alight from and enter the car, since when doing this the rest rail is always pushed out of the way to make room for the feet in stepping in and out,and of course, every throw given to the rail causes the movement of rotary adjustment desired.

By thus providing the foot rest rod 1 with a sleeve which will not chip or peel, which is of uniform color throughout, and which automatically revolves to present unworn sections, the foot rest will last indefinitely without showing signs of wear or hard. usage. At the same time, its being composed of a material which is not a con ductor of heat keeps it from being chilly for the feet.

An even more important advantage of this fiber-covered rod is in its protection of the white and tan shoes worn by many of the ladies riding in the car, for I have found that they very largely do not rest the soles of their shoes flat upon the rod but partially turn their feet so that the sides of the uppers in the arch or instep will contact with the rod. In addition to the natural rubbing of the shoes on the rod is the constant vibration between the same due to the motion of the engine, and since these rods are usually composed of brass, as soon as the nickel has worn through the brass quickly discolors the leather or canvas. Moreover the brass stain is rubbed into the shoe-surfaces so thoroughly as to render it practically impossible to fully clean them. In this way the fashionable white and tan shoes are soon rendered worthless to the fastidious wearer and have to be discarded,

In much the same way the robe rails used in the automobiles are rendered much more desirable by inclosing them in the fiber sleeves, the rotation given thereto by the removal and application of the garments hung thereon giving a fresh portion of surface to be in sight. As White robes, shawls and other Wraps are liable to discoloration from the brass surfaces when deprived of the rod and arms are swung in one direction to give a step-by-step rotation to the rod.

2. A foot rest for automobiles comprising a rod, a sleeve of fibrous material surrounding'said rod, arms loosely supporting the ends of the same, and being themselves piv:

otally supported, and means acting when said rod and sleeve are swung over with said arms, to turn the rod and sleeve.

3. A foot rest comprising a rod, pivotally supported arms rotatably carrying the rod, a fibrous sleeve enveloping the rod, and a stationary post having serrations for engaging the surface of the sleeve and partially turning the same when the foot rest is swung over against the post.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March, 1918.

HOMER F. LIVERMORE. 

